By Trevor Joelson
George Stripling swears that his dreadlocks have superhuman powers. He tells stories about how when he cut them off he didn’t have the same athletic ability; he couldn’t run as fast or jump as high.
Stripling, a sophomore, has had more than his trademark dreadlocks resting on his shoulders of late. He has had to shoulder the hopes and dreams of the Louisville faithful that he called “the best fans in the country.”
When the cart drove the injured Michael Bush off the field several weeks ago the rumblings began. The 42,000 fans at Papa John’s Cardinal stadium started speculating about Louisville’s season and whether or not they could pull out a win against Kentucky.
Faster than a speeding bullet, George Stripling came in to save the day. Within minutes of Bush’s injury he punched in a touchdown to give Louisville a three-possession lead. Minutes later he ran for a 38-yard touchdown to secure the Governor’s Cup trophy yet again for the Cardinals.
Stripling didn’t think that he was going to play much against the Wildcats. It was supposed to be Bush’s season. 1,500 yards, 30 touchdowns, a trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony and the UK game were supposed to be the beginning for the star running back. Stripling was always ready to play though. He said, “When Michael went down I knew I’d step up.”
Stripling came to Louisville from Jacksonville, Fla. As a senior at Andrew Jackson High, he ran for 2,330 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning second team all-state honors. He passed up offers from Georgia Tech, Iowa State and Central Florida in favor of becoming a Cardinal.
In 2004, his first year at Louisville, the coaching staff decided to red-shirt Stripling rather than throw him into an already deep running back mix. Stripling attributes the year off as a big reason for his success. “It helped me to get bigger and stronger in the weight room so that I can do the things that I am doing now.”
At 6 feet and weighing 202 pounds, Stripling is not exactly a bruising back, but he is a speedster who can get to the outside. Just how fast is Stripling? He said in high school he was clocked at a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash. He has the ability to break a huge run at any time.
Stripling proved that last year when he ran for an 89-yard touchdown against Syracuse, the second longest in Louisville history.
As a result of blowouts and an injury to Bush, Stripling got a lot of carries in 2005. He ended second on the team in rushing with 621 yards and 10 touchdowns. Those stats seem modest until you see that he averaged a video game-like 7.9 yards per carry.
In the two games that Bush missed last year Stripling ran for a combined 233 yards. In Bush’s worst performance of the 2005 campaign, where he ran for just 57 yards against North Carolina, Stripling was there to pick up the slack, rushing for 74 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown.
Now that Bush is gone, it is up to Stripling and senior Kolby Smith to lead the rushing attack. Both have very different running styles.
Smith likes to run up the middle and off the tackles. Stripling, on the other hand, would rather run to the outside and give the defense a good view of the #24 as he sprints up the sideline for a touchdown.
Smith, being a senior, has passed along a lot of knowledge to Stripling. A friendly rivalry has even developed between the two that pushes them in both practice and the game.
“They’re both very excited and motivated to get the ball more,” head coach Bobby Petrino said.
Stripling wishes Smith the best and doesn’t mind sharing carries with the senior realizing this is his last year to show the NFL scouts what he can do. When it comes to game time Stripling said Coach Petrino is going to put in who is best.
Smith and Stripling split the carries in Louisville’s 31-7 win against Miami. Stripling’s ability as a receiver sealed the deal. He caught a screen pass from back up quarterback, Hunter Cantwell, and took it 39 yards for a touchdown to put the game out of reach. Being from Florida, the win against the Canes had a little extra meaning for Stripling. He said, “They didn’t want me, so the win meant a lot.”
Any team would be more than happy to have a player as versatile as Stripling on their roster. His explosiveness and ability to catch the ball out of the backfield makes him a rare commodity. He has been averaging 28.2 yards per catch when the Cardinals utilize him in the passing game. His skills are very reminiscent of his role model, another multipurpose back, Warrick Dunn.
Be it running or receiving, Stripling’s skills are electric and have had opposing defensive coordinators on edge all year. As they watch the Louisville game tapes and see his dreadlocks shifting in accordance with his torso they know only one thing can slow him down – a barber.
